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The Worst Hard Time The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
Author: Timothy Egan

"The Worst Hard Time is an epic story of blind hope and endurance almost beyond belief; it is also, as Tim Egan has told it, a riveting tale of bumptious charlatans, conmen, and tricksters, environmental arrogance and hubris, political chicanery, and a ruinous ignorance of nature's ways. Egan has reached across the generations and brought us th... more »e people who played out the drama in this devastated land, and uses their voices to tell the story as well as it could ever be told."

— Marq de Villiers, author of Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource

The dust storms that terrorized America's High Plains in the darkest years of the Depression were like nothing ever seen before or since, and the stories of the people that held on have never been fully told. Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times journalist and author Timothy Egan follows a half-dozen families and their communities through the rise and fall of the region, going from sod homes to new framed houses to huddling in basements with the windows sealed by damp sheets in a futile effort to keep the dust out. He follows their desperate attempts to carry on through blinding black blizzards, crop failure, and the deaths of loved ones. Drawing on the voices of those who stayed and survived—those who, now in their eighties and nineties, will soon carry their memories to the grave—Egan tells a story of endurance and heroism against the backdrop of the Great Depression.

As only great history can, Egan's book captures the very voice of the times: its grit, pathos, and abiding courage. Combining the human drama of Isaac's Storm with the sweep of The American People in the Great Depression, The Worst Hard Time is a lasting and important work of American history.

Timothy Egan is a national enterprise reporter for the New York Times. He is the author of four books and the recipient of several awards, including the Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Seattle, Washington.

"As one who, as a young reporter, survived and reported on the great Dust Bowl disaster, I recommend this book as a dramatic, exciting, and accurate account of that incredible and deadly phenomenon. This is can"t-put-it-down history." —Walter Cronkite

"The Worst Hard Time is wonderful: ribbed like surf, and battering us with a national epic that ranks second only to the Revolution and the Civil War. Egan knows this and convincingly claims recognition for his subject—as we as a country finally accomplished, first with Lewis and Clark, and then for 'the greatest generation,' many of whose members of course were also survivors of the hardships of the Great Depression. This is a banner, heartfelt but informative book, full of energy, research, and compassion." —Edward Hoagland, author of Compass Points: How I Lived

"Here's a terrific true story—who could put it down? Egan humanizes Dust Bowl history by telling the vivid stories of the families who stayed behind. One loves the people and admires Egan's vigor and sympathy." —Annie Dillard, author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek

"The American West got lucky when Tim Egan focused his acute powers of observation on its past and present. Egan's remarkable combination of clear analysis and warm empathy anchors his portrait of the women and men who held on to their places—and held on to their souls—through the nearly unimaginable miseries of the Dust Bowl. This book provides the finest mental exercise for people wanting to deepen, broaden, and strengthen their thinking about the relationship of human beings to this earth." —Patricia N. Limerick, author of The Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West

ISBN-13: 9780618346974
ISBN-10: 061834697X
Publication Date: 12/14/2005
Pages: 320
Rating:

Currently 3.8/5 Stars.

3.8 stars, based on 18 ratings

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Book Type: Hardcover
Other Versions: Paperback, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 4
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

Carol C. (cjc72348) reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 10/3/2006 + 17 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 44

Can't put down story of those who survived the American Dust Bowl years. Dramatic, heart-wrenching and haunting. Powerful cautionary tale about the dangers of trifling with nature. Truth really is stranger than fiction.

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Debbie S. reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 10/17/2006 + 21 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 26

Good account of the Dust Bowl area and those that stayed through this time.

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Marci and Duane S. (flame60) reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 9/24/2007 + 200 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 21

This is a very well written book about the horrific dusters, "snusters", and government scams. It tells, in many of the survivors's own words, how people's dreams were shattered by many droughts and gov't greed. The land they were given still held an indescribable "pull " for most, however, even though it had failed them.. The resilience of the human spirit is felt very keenly.

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Marie P. (grandmapaws) reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 2/19/2007 + 33 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 16

These stories are hard to take, especially knowing how our government was involved.

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Linda C. (FluffysBigSister) - , reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 10/24/2008

Helpful Score: 5

I must truly say that this was the best book I read all year!!

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Jeremy - reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 8/13/2008 + 5 more book reviews

I enjoyed it a lot. A very good history of an exceptional period in America's past. I especially enjoyed the personal stories from this period.

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Sheila M. (Page5) reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 6/28/2007

Very captivating story about this era of American history. The stories of the survivors were excellent. I highly recommend if you enjoy historical nonfiction.

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Paula G. (Paulathegreat) reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 8/8/2023 + 147 more book reviews

The book does a good job of describing the helplessness and suffering. It does a very poor job of analysis.
The problem of the dust bowl was that the government gave out land without knowing the land to people who didn't know the land.
This region goes through wet and dry periods. In the dry periods one does not make it as a farmer unless they have some serious infrastructure.
If FDR and Hoover had left the economy alone it would have rallied and people would have been able to grow other businesses while the farmers were struggling.

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Carol F. (cactusflowerwomen) reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 10/3/2022 + 628 more book reviews

Well written history of the American Dust Bowl. Definitely kept my interest, as depressing as it was and it was interesting to see how the Roosevelt's eff\\\affected it.

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Sherrie S. reviewed The Worst Hard Time : The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl on 9/27/2021 + 44 more book reviews

Excellently written book! Thoroughly enjoyed the history of the Dust Bowl. How tragic!

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